Corporal John Thurling Lowestoft Killed in Action
In the edition of the Norwich Mercury paper dated 8th December 1917 in the weekly gallery of “East Anglian Heroes”, there is a picture of Corporal John Thurling, son of Mr and Mrs S. Thurling, 2, Jacobs Street, Lowestoft, killed in action.
SDGW records that Corporal 3095 John Cecil Thurling was Killed in Action on the 1st November 1916 whilst serving with the 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. No place of birth or residence is shown, but he enlisted Lowestoft.
That soldier on CWGC is :-
THURLING, JOHN CECIL
Rank:……………………......Corporal
Service No:……………….3095
Date of Death:………….01/11/1916
Regiment:…………………Suffolk Regiment, 4th Bn.
Panel Reference:……..Pier and Face 1 C and 2 A.
Memorial:…………………THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
CWGC: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/816277/THURLING,%20JO...
The Medal Index Card for Corporal 3095 J C Thurling, Suffolk Regiment, is held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/20/25395
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5567425
His Service Records do not appear to have survived the incendiary attack during the Blitz on the Warehouse where all the Army Service records were stored.
No obvious Soldiers Will or Civil Probate for this man.
No obvious Missing Persons enquiry held by the International Red Cross.
However the Norwich Mercury edition dated October 31st 1917 has the following entry in its “In Memoriam” column.
THURLING – In loving memory of Corporal John Thurling, the dearly loved son of Mr. and Mrs. S.Thurling, of 2 Jacob’s Street, Lowestoft, killed in action, November 1st 1915 (my emphasis).
“A devoted son, a faithful brother,
One of the best towards his mother;
He bravely answered duty’s call,
His life he gave for one and all;
But the unknown grave is the bitterest blow,
None but an aching heart can know.”
From his sorrowing Mother, Father, Brothers, and Sisters.
The entry was repeated on November 3rd – the Norwich Mercury was printed twice weekly so this was the next edition.
1896/97 – Birth
The birth of a John Cecil Thurling was registered in the Mutford District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1897. Then, as now, you had 42 days to register the birth with the Civil Authorities or face a fine – and in that time there was even the threat of a criminal prosecution. So legally John could have been born as early as Mid-November 1896.
1901 Censuses of England & Wales and Scotland
The 4 year old John C Thurling, (mistranscribed on the Genealogy site I use as John E), born Lowestoft, was recorded living at 2 Jacobs Street, Lowestoft. This was the household of his parents, Stephen, (aged 48, a General Labourer, born Norwich) and Phoebe, (aged 43, born Norwich). As well as John their other children living with them are:-
Laura E…….aged 18…born Norwich
Jane C………aged 19…born Lowestoft….Factory Hand
Stephen…….aged 14….born Lowestoft….Baker
May R………aged 13….born Lowestoft
Alice K……..aged 11….born Lowestoft
Hubert B……aged 9……born Lowestoft
Phoebe M…..aged 6……born Lowestoft
Ivy L……….aged 1……born Lowestoft
1911 Census of England and Wales
The Thurling family were still living at 2 Jacobs Street, Lowestoft. Parents Stephen, (58, Railway Labourer) and “Pheobe”, (54), have been married 34 years and have had 12 children, of which 11 were then still alive. Still single and living at home are:-
Hubert….aged 19….Iron Moulder
Pheobe…aged 16
John…….aged 14….Iron Moulders Labourer
Ivy……..aged 11
On the day
From Page 192 – 193 “The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927” by Lieutenant-Colonel C.C.R.Murphy.
On October 24th they moved in very wet weather into Trones Wood, occupying four days later some poor front line trenches on newly gained ground in front of Les Boueufs. The next five days were spent in making minor attacks to gain ground, but these only met with partial success, though on the 28th Dewdrop trench fell to the 98th Brigade. On the 29th 2nd Lieut. E. Hignett was wounded, and two days later 2nd Lieut. E.G. Joyce was killed and 2nd Lieut. C.A. Harris mortally wounded. The last of these attacks was made on November 1st, our casualties including 2nd Lieut. G.H.C. Adams killed. The battalion then moved back to the Flers line, Lieut.-Colonel Copeman receiving the congratulations of the Corps Commander, Lord Cavan, for the work done by the 4th Battalion since taking over the line. Throughout this tour of duty, the enemy shelling had been persistently heavy.
lib.militaryarchive.co.uk/library/infantry-histories/libr...
A check of the CWGC database using Geoff’s Search engine shows that the Battalion suffered 23 deaths on this day.
Thiepval Memorial – 20 names remembered.
Serre Road No.2 Cemetery
Wilfred Stanley Clarke. Body recovered from the battlefield in the 1930’s. Found at map reference 57c.T.5.a.1.0.
www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/608379/
William Lutkin. Body recovered from the battlefield in 1932. Found at map reference 57c.T.4.b.77.40
www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/609279/
Delville Wood Cemetery
E H Ponder. Body recovered from a marked battlefield burial in 1920. Grave was located at 57c.T.5.D.11.
www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/550102/
(Photoshopped to remove some of the damage on the original source material)
Corporal John Thurling Lowestoft Killed in Action
In the edition of the Norwich Mercury paper dated 8th December 1917 in the weekly gallery of “East Anglian Heroes”, there is a picture of Corporal John Thurling, son of Mr and Mrs S. Thurling, 2, Jacobs Street, Lowestoft, killed in action.
SDGW records that Corporal 3095 John Cecil Thurling was Killed in Action on the 1st November 1916 whilst serving with the 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. No place of birth or residence is shown, but he enlisted Lowestoft.
That soldier on CWGC is :-
THURLING, JOHN CECIL
Rank:……………………......Corporal
Service No:……………….3095
Date of Death:………….01/11/1916
Regiment:…………………Suffolk Regiment, 4th Bn.
Panel Reference:……..Pier and Face 1 C and 2 A.
Memorial:…………………THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
CWGC: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/816277/THURLING,%20JO...
The Medal Index Card for Corporal 3095 J C Thurling, Suffolk Regiment, is held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/20/25395
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5567425
His Service Records do not appear to have survived the incendiary attack during the Blitz on the Warehouse where all the Army Service records were stored.
No obvious Soldiers Will or Civil Probate for this man.
No obvious Missing Persons enquiry held by the International Red Cross.
However the Norwich Mercury edition dated October 31st 1917 has the following entry in its “In Memoriam” column.
THURLING – In loving memory of Corporal John Thurling, the dearly loved son of Mr. and Mrs. S.Thurling, of 2 Jacob’s Street, Lowestoft, killed in action, November 1st 1915 (my emphasis).
“A devoted son, a faithful brother,
One of the best towards his mother;
He bravely answered duty’s call,
His life he gave for one and all;
But the unknown grave is the bitterest blow,
None but an aching heart can know.”
From his sorrowing Mother, Father, Brothers, and Sisters.
The entry was repeated on November 3rd – the Norwich Mercury was printed twice weekly so this was the next edition.
1896/97 – Birth
The birth of a John Cecil Thurling was registered in the Mutford District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1897. Then, as now, you had 42 days to register the birth with the Civil Authorities or face a fine – and in that time there was even the threat of a criminal prosecution. So legally John could have been born as early as Mid-November 1896.
1901 Censuses of England & Wales and Scotland
The 4 year old John C Thurling, (mistranscribed on the Genealogy site I use as John E), born Lowestoft, was recorded living at 2 Jacobs Street, Lowestoft. This was the household of his parents, Stephen, (aged 48, a General Labourer, born Norwich) and Phoebe, (aged 43, born Norwich). As well as John their other children living with them are:-
Laura E…….aged 18…born Norwich
Jane C………aged 19…born Lowestoft….Factory Hand
Stephen…….aged 14….born Lowestoft….Baker
May R………aged 13….born Lowestoft
Alice K……..aged 11….born Lowestoft
Hubert B……aged 9……born Lowestoft
Phoebe M…..aged 6……born Lowestoft
Ivy L……….aged 1……born Lowestoft
1911 Census of England and Wales
The Thurling family were still living at 2 Jacobs Street, Lowestoft. Parents Stephen, (58, Railway Labourer) and “Pheobe”, (54), have been married 34 years and have had 12 children, of which 11 were then still alive. Still single and living at home are:-
Hubert….aged 19….Iron Moulder
Pheobe…aged 16
John…….aged 14….Iron Moulders Labourer
Ivy……..aged 11
On the day
From Page 192 – 193 “The History of the Suffolk Regiment 1914-1927” by Lieutenant-Colonel C.C.R.Murphy.
On October 24th they moved in very wet weather into Trones Wood, occupying four days later some poor front line trenches on newly gained ground in front of Les Boueufs. The next five days were spent in making minor attacks to gain ground, but these only met with partial success, though on the 28th Dewdrop trench fell to the 98th Brigade. On the 29th 2nd Lieut. E. Hignett was wounded, and two days later 2nd Lieut. E.G. Joyce was killed and 2nd Lieut. C.A. Harris mortally wounded. The last of these attacks was made on November 1st, our casualties including 2nd Lieut. G.H.C. Adams killed. The battalion then moved back to the Flers line, Lieut.-Colonel Copeman receiving the congratulations of the Corps Commander, Lord Cavan, for the work done by the 4th Battalion since taking over the line. Throughout this tour of duty, the enemy shelling had been persistently heavy.
lib.militaryarchive.co.uk/library/infantry-histories/libr...
A check of the CWGC database using Geoff’s Search engine shows that the Battalion suffered 23 deaths on this day.
Thiepval Memorial – 20 names remembered.
Serre Road No.2 Cemetery
Wilfred Stanley Clarke. Body recovered from the battlefield in the 1930’s. Found at map reference 57c.T.5.a.1.0.
www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/608379/
William Lutkin. Body recovered from the battlefield in 1932. Found at map reference 57c.T.4.b.77.40
www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/609279/
Delville Wood Cemetery
E H Ponder. Body recovered from a marked battlefield burial in 1920. Grave was located at 57c.T.5.D.11.
www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/550102/
(Photoshopped to remove some of the damage on the original source material)